GROCERIES IN IRELAND are now at the highest level of inflation since December 2023 as Irish shoppers’ spending on foodstuffs rises.

The latest figures from Worldpanel by Numerator, which measures consumer data, show that grocery price inflation now stands at 6.5%. The inflation levels come as Irish shoppers come into a “busy time” with children back to school, Halloween approaching and the festive season en route. 

Business Development Director at the company, Emer Healy, said the latest budget will put “more pressure” on shoppers and “may have an impact on their discretionary spending”. 

Healy pointed to the end of one-off payments like the energy credit and double child benefit that would previously have helped families offset some of their spending.

“Along with rising fuel and other household costs, [the budget] will put extra pressure on many families, especially as tax bands remain unchanged and some credits are no longer available,” she added.

As has been seen in recent years, Irish shoppers are heavily utilising promotions in an effort to stretch their budget. An additional €71.5m has been spent on promotions compared to the same period last year.

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Spending on supermarkets’ own brands has continued to climb, while branded products’ sales are slowing slightly. Branded products still account for 47.6% of the value share of the total market. 

Another figure noted in Worldpanel by Numerator’s report was the proportion of shoppers buying their groceries online: over 18% of Irish households did so in the last twelve weeks. 

On the shops favoured by Irish consumers, Dunnes remained in the lead with a 24.4% market share, followed closely by tesco on 23.7%. Supervalu holds 19.2%, Lidl 14.1%, and Aldi holds 11.4%.